The city has dozens of them, and they can be full of museum-quality work. They're almost always free.

Yet, they go remarkably under-appreciated. Most of the time, when I visit on weekdays, I'm the only one there. All that good art, and no one to behold it.

Truth is, the art business doesn't rely on physical space the way it used to. Dealers can sell their wares over the Internet and at the big art fairs in places like Miami and New York, where buying can be frenetic. They do surprisingly well marketing goods with everyday tools like Facebook and Instagram. They work the auctions and the corporate consultants or take collectors to visit artists studios directly.

The paintings by Danny Williams and sculpture by Jonathan Hils are on view at Walker Fine Art, 300 W. 11th Ave. (Photos by Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

Still, the galleries thrive. A dealer needs an office, after all, and an artist wants to put on a show, even if crowds turn up only for the opening reception (and yes, openings are still huge in this town). Plus, they're advertising tools, rooting the business in the community and serving as very pretty billboards.

That leaves them a sweet place to visit if you just happen to like art, and galleries are more than happy to have people come in just for a look. The folks who run them — the best ones, anyway — are art lovers themselves. Exhibits are curated with considerable thought, and, because dealers are so clued in to the scene, they show the most talented people around and take on themes that matter to the hometown.

Advertisement

A good gallery is more than a retail showroom. It offers an experience, through the work or the architecture, the greeting or the sense of adventure it provides. The commercial galleries on this list — different from museums or nonprofit organizations because they're out to make a buck — deliver that routinely. They provide a distinct experience that changes depending on what and who they're featuring.

Week after week, sometimes year after year, these places are Denver's best.

Pattern Shop Studio is showing work from master printer Bud Shark. This is a lithograph by Hung Liu.

1. Robischon Gallery

Robischon is probably Denver's top gallery in terms of sales and the artists it represents. It has a huge roster of Colorado talent (Terry Maker, John McEnroe, Gary Emrich, Edie Winograde) and serves as the local dealer for some international stars (Richard Serra, Ann Hamilton). Owners Jim Robischon and Jennifer Doran know what they've got and mix and match their stable to create consistently exciting shows.

See it now: A four-person show with Chuck Forsman, Elena Dorfman, David Sharpe and Isabelle Hayuer runs through May 10.

David Smith has a fine eye for talent near and far, and that sets him apart from his peers. He works with some of the best names in the region ( Sarah Mc-Kenzie and Don Stinson), but his focus is national, and that makes a visit to the showroom a treat. Plus, he's been having fun lately, with must-see installations from artists like Michael Theodore and Mark Dean Vaca. It's his time, really.

If you've never heard of 2-year-old Counterpath, your loss. It's one of the few Denver places that present experimental performance art on a regular basis, quality work — big, small and out there — that pushes the boundaries in every way. It's also a bookstore and a gallery with art that's not for everybody but deserves to be seen. Go with low expectations ... leave high.

See it soon: Things change quickly at Counterpath, just go feel it out.

Plus is the most adventurous gallery in town and has emerged as a crucial showplace for new art in Denver. Owner Ivar Zeile reps respected names (Jenny Morgan, Bill Amundson, Xi Zhang) and stages exhibits that feel more like events. No commercial gallery takes more chances, especially in the digital realm.

See it now: "common/myth," the debut, and interactive, solo exhibition by Kristin Stransky through May 24.

The new Dateline gallery is just one show in, but it might be Denver's next big thing. Artists Adam Milner and Jeromie Dorrance created it out of the living room of their RiNo storefront apartment, but it's a serious place, and the debut exhibit had fine, well-edited work from the newest of newcomers (Katrin Davis, Gato Karatoyote). Who knows if this place will last. In the meantime go there when it's open, which is not that often. Mostly Sundays, from noon to 4 p.m.

You can forgive Pattern Shop for not being open every day of the week. It is, after all, the actual home of Sharon and Rex Brown, who made the place out of a former manufacturing building (with help from Denver architect David Owen Tryba). They show artists they like, including Sharon, and treat visitors like guests, which is what really puts this gallery on this list. The doors are open on First Friday eves and Thursday afternoons.

See it now: An amazing retrospective of prints from Bud Shark, working with Enrique Chagoya, Barbara Takenaga, Betty Woodman and others.

Ice Cube is a co-op, which means artists own and operate it and members, mostly in pairs, rotate shows on a mostly regular schedule. It's large, finely honed and highly visible, and the artists nearly always rise to the occasion of showing there. Ice Cube feels fresh every time you enter, and you can often find good deals.

See it soon: "The Butterfly Effect," a collaboration between Sandy Lane, Terry Lane and David Reed, and "Justamere," by Diane Martonis, May 2-24.

Svper Ordinary is as much a retail space as it is a gallery. But it plays both roles with a sense of style and a real understanding of what makes Denver an interesting place. Located in The Source, the local food and shopping emporium drawing crowds to the RiNo district, Svper Ordinary focuses on regional artists who make solid work at very reasonable prices. The place was designed by Denver's earth-friendly and adventurous Tres Birds architects.

OK, it's a bit of a cheat to lump three galleries on one number, but these places are top-notch, all within a few blocks in the Golden Triangle and share a similar, simple elegance in the way they show art. Havu curates with a sense of place and excels with painters (Sushe and Tracy Felix, Homare Ikeda). Bobbi Walker has an eye for art that is keen and easy to like ( Sabin Aell, Roland Bernier). Phillips is a local legend with notable taste and a striking loyalty to her talented roster (Margaret Kasahara, Mel Strawn, Virginia Maitland).

See it now:

9a. At Havu: Amy Metier's abstract oils and more, through June 7.

1040 Cherokee St. 303-893-2360 or williamhavugallery.com

9b. At Walker: Mark Penner Howell, plus a furniture installation, through May 31.

300 W. 11th Ave. 303-355-8955 or walkerfineart.com.

9c. At Phillips: New work from Frank Sampson, painting especially strong at 86, through June 7.

420 W. 12th Ave. 303-573-5969 or thesandraphillipsgallery.com.

10. Native American Trading Company

The trading company is 31 years old and better than ever, thanks to the diligence of owners Jack and Robin Riddel Lima, who take their role as purveyors of Western art, from paintings to pottery, old and new, native and not, seriously. They do a lot for their neighborhood, the city and local Indian artists who need an established outlet, with a national clientele, for their fine work.

Owner Adam Gildar has carved out an important niche by taking chances on young artists who need legit exposure to make their careers happen. This is the place to see likable, emerging new talent ( Hollis + Lana, Amber Cobb), though lately some established veterans have been showing up on the walls.

See it now: A 15-person show with promising names like Libby Barbee and Suchitra Mattai runs through May 24.

Missy Franklin, Jenny Simpson, Adeline Gray and three other Colorado women could be big players at the 2016 Rio OlympicsWhen people ask Missy Franklin for her thoughts about the Summer Olympics that will begin a year from Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, she hangs a warning label on her answer.